


Magpie

by thepatchmatrix



Category: Blue Bloods (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Character Study, Crossover, Gen, In a sense, Non-Linear Narrative, The X-Over no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 06:24:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13048329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepatchmatrix/pseuds/thepatchmatrix
Summary: In which Jamie Reagan joins SHIELD and things don't really change, at least for the Avengers.





	Magpie

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea years ago and, about a year and a half ago, I decided to write it out just to see how it would go. While I think I did fairly well, I don't really like this story and have no plans to continue in this verse or with these characters. This is barely edited so please forgive any glaring errors. If anyone wants to play around in this sandbox, all to you!
> 
> Please Enjoy!

_Now:_

There are days when Jamie Reagan wonders. He wonders what he’d be doing if he hadn’t caught a purse snatcher on the _one day_ SHIELD was recruiting on campus. He wonders where he’d be if he hadn’t stressed his mom into a heart attack by talking about attending the academy after he finished his bachelor’s degree. He wonders what would have changed if Joe had been just one second slower and the bullet had pierced his heart instead of his shoulder. He’s pretty certain he wouldn’t be standing in a destroyed New York Street fighting for his life against aliens with Captain America at his back and Iron Man flying overhead.

“Day’s like today make me question ever talking to your purple-feathered ass Barton!” Jamie called into his comm unit as he threw a piece of metal at the head of an oncoming alien, bullets spent and no other ammo in sight.

“You know you love this Magpie! Damn! I’m almost out,” Clint called, a little concerned.

“Don’t you dare Barton,” Natasha’s calm, if breathless voice inserted, “Reagan, help him out.”

Spinning to find the building Clint was stationed on, Jamie gaped as the top exploded and Hawkeye went flying over the edge, arrow nocked and ready.

“Too late.”

The comms exploded with concerned shouts. As Clint swung through a window halfway down the same building, Iron Man came flying through with a nuke and Natasha could close the portal and Captain goddamn America was too exhausted to dodge a hard hit and Hulk was overwhelmed for the first time ever and Thor was shaking from the exertion of throwing his hammer through too many aliens and Jamie wondered what the hell he was doing down on the front lines fighting amongst legends and gods.

And then he was watching as the portal closed, watched the Hulk catch a falling Tony Stark, watched Captain America pick himself back up and stand tall. Everyone was calling in the end of the invasion as all of the aliens fell, dead with their puppet strings cut. Jamie let his numb legs finally drop out from beneath him.

 Sitting in the middle of Manhattan, as the streets finally fell silent and smoke began to clear, he wondered why _the hell_ he’d ever want to be anywhere else.

 ~*~

_Then, 5 years ago:_

While SHIELD had its own academies, they found that recruiting from college campuses was still a worthwhile and advantageous effort. It didn’t hurt that recruiting worked as a very effective punishment for annoying agents. Today, Clint Barton had the unfortunate pleasure of being the sacrificial lamb.

“Oh stop whining. It’s not like you’re the only one suffering,” Phil Coulson said tiredly from across the table where they were ensconced.

“You’re not suffering. I know you enjoy these stupid trips. Finding new minions for the training unit to torture is, like, one of your favorite pastimes,” Clint slumped forward, his hands curling around his disposable coffee cup, trying to soak up any warmth leftover from his drink.

“I never said the _mission_ was causing my suffering. Now pay attention. You see any good prospects?”

Clint was tempted to throw his cup at Phil, “Not yet. Probably not for the entire mission. When was the last time we actually got someone worthwhile out of one of these things?”

“Rodriguez in Operations. You know, the one with pink hair? He was recruited from Columbia.”

“Yeah, but he was poached _years_ ago. Anyone from the last five years actually _good_?”

“Your definition of ‘good’ and what most people consider ‘good’ are radically different.”

“ _My_ ‘good’ doesn’t get people _killed,_ Phil.”

Phil sighed and turned away, rolling his eyes. Clint was about to continue when he spotted a guy grabbing a women’s purse and sprinting away across the large plaza from where they were sitting. Jumping to his feet, he was ready to take off after the man when, suddenly, the purse was gone from the thief’s hands. Continuing on his sprint, it didn’t seem like he knew it was gone. When Clint finally spotted the purse, one of the passersby, a kid who looked barely 18, was calmly handing the bag back to the woman it was stolen from.

“He looks interesting,” Phil commented, “Let’s introduce ourselves.”

~*~

Nick Fury stared at Phil Coulson for a long moment before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing deeply.

“He’s got great potential, Nick. He’s worth the risk,” Phil pushed off from where he was leaning on Nick’s desk to stand, arms crossed as he stared down at where the director was sitting considering the stack of files Phil had compiled. Sitting open was the file on one Jamie Reagan.

“He’s the son of New York City’s Police Commissioner, Phil. There’s no way I’m opening up SHIELD to that kind of scrutiny, even if he’s as good as you say.”

“But he impressed Barton. No one ever impresses Barton.”

“Natasha did.”

“Yeah, but she was _already_ an internationally known assassin,” Phil huffed and turned to pace, “This kid’s a complete unknown _and_ he’s on the outs with his family. And it doesn’t look like he’s planning on talking to them any time soon. From what Intel gathered, there was an argument that led to his mother having a pretty severe heart attack and everyone’s blaming him.”

“Just because they’re not talking now does not mean that they won’t talk ever,” Nick rubbed a hand over his head. Then, he stopped. Feeling around for a moment and ignoring Phil as he turned to continue arguing, Nick shot to his feet. His eye patch was gone, “What—“

Phil started laughing. There was a slight shuffling sound from above Nick. Looking up, there was Jamie Reagan holding Nick’s eyepatch as he hung from the ceiling vent.

“Can this count as a job interview?” Jaime asked with a cheeky grin.

“How the hell’d you get in here?” Nick asked incredulously.

“Clint. He thought it’d be funny,” from behind Jamie, there was a loud scuffing sound. Then Jamie was being shoved aside and Clint’s face appeared.

“That is slander, sir! I’m only here to keep him from getting into any of the classified rooms,” Clint’s face was pulled into an innocent expression that wouldn’t fool a child, let alone anyone who actually knew the archer.

Deciding to ignore Clint for the moment, Nick focused back on Jamie. The kid had pulled himself out of the vent entirely and was carefully lowering himself to stand on Nick’s desk. Once there, he calmly hopped to the floor and stood at attention.

Staring hard at the 19 year old, Nick considered his options. Hiring Jamie meant opening SHIELD to possible discovery of the organization by the NYC’s Police Commissioner of all people. But, the kid had literally just pulled his eyepatch from his head without him even feeling it. And there was the whole purse thief thing that had gotten SHIELD’s attention in the first place. Having an agent that sneaky would definitely be a boon for the agency.  Heaving yet another sigh, Nick turned to Phil.

“Fine. You’ve got 6 months to train him up to spec. If he fails, it’s on your head, but if he passes, he has to give up all possible contact with his family in the future unless something radically changes.”

A quick smile flitted over Phil’s face, “Yes sir. Come on. Let’s get out of the Director’s hair.”

Practically bouncing with excitement, Jamie added, “Thank you sir! I won’t let you down!” and left with Phil.

Rolling his eye, Nick sat back down at his desk and considered the other files. While Jamie might bring problems to SHIELD, at least he looked like he could really handle it, unlike the other candidates covering his desk.

Hearing more scuffling from above him, Nick picked up a pen and calmly tossed it into the vent. A small thump and muffled groan echoed out.

“Barton, get the hell out of my ceiling.”

~*~

Six months passed quickly for Jamie Reagan. After packing his dorm and withdrawing from his classes, he’d been flung into a whirlwind of law classes and agent training. As part of his hiring agreement, he’d continued working on his law degree, just at an expedited pace. With how fast he learned and SHIELD’s connections, he would be able take the bar as soon as he turned 21.

 He’d also started an accelerated training program. Phil, Clint and Natasha had taken his training into their own hands and, while Jamie felt he had way more to learn, he was farther along than most of the third year academy students by the end of the trial period.

When Nick had received the file with Jamie’s scores from a smug Phil Coulson, the man had just signed his approval and assigned Jamie to Strike Team Delta. With four members, Delta took more missions and their already amazing success rate rose exponentially. Having Jamie run on-the-ground back up for Natasha meant Phil could concentrate on any possible outside threats to their missions and focus on Clint’s role.

By the first year’s end, Jamie had become one of SHIELD’s best recruits.

~*~

_Now:_

Clint offered an arm to Jamie, pulling him up and into a tight hug. Jamie reciprocated just as hard.

Releasing after a few moments, Jamie slapped Clint lightly on the shoulder, “Damn I’m glad you’re back. Saw you flew in with the Captain, how’d that go?”

“Not as weird as I thought it’d be, “Clint shook his head, “Though with Phil talking about him almost constantly, I think I’m desensitized to the hero-worship thing.”

Natasha, having just jogged up added, “Phil’s not. I think he almost wet himself, he was so excited. He even asked Steve to sign the cards. ‘It’s a vintage set!’ It was painful to watch.”

Laughing as the cost of their Lead Agent, they started heading toward the rest of the team.

Before the reached hearing range, Jamie slowed to a stop and turned to the other two, “How’s he doing? I heard it was pretty bad, but with the whole ancestor thing…” he trailed off.

“He was still in surgery when we left, but the Scepter missed his heart so his chances are higher than they could be,” Natasha replied, giving Jamie’s shoulder a squeeze, “He’ll pull through.”

“He damn well better!” Clint exclaimed, breaking the somber mood, “I want to mock his fanboy obsession to his _face_. There are just too many golden opportunities here.”

“Who are we mocking and does it include schawarma? If it doesn’t include schawarma I will be sorely disappointed,” Tony called out as he, leading the last of the team, joined the impromptu huddle.

“Just discussing Phil’s fanboyisms,” Jamie said, mirth glinting in his eyes, “But food first. I’m starving.”

Once again taking the lead, Tony immediately set out in search of a schawarma joint. Jamie hung back at the rear of the group and allowed himself to marvel at the once familiar sight of his hometown.

~*~

_Then, 1 year ago:_

Gods were real.

(Well, at least the Norse Pantheon anyway.)

Jamie was ready to tear his hair out. He’d thought this assignment would be a breeze and he’d get a tan in his free time. Instead, it turns out the 0-8-4 was actually a semi-sentient hammer that chose its wielder ala “the wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter”, or some such nonsense. And now an overly-buff-Adonis was working his way through a slew of agents to reach that hammer. It didn’t help that the rain (in the middle of the _fucking desert_ during the _dry season_ ) was turning the ground into a slip-n slide.

Hearing Clint and Phil snipe at each other over the comms both set Jamie at ease and pissed him off.  Banter always meant things were either a-okay or “blown to shit.” While the slight, hysteric edge of “blown to shit” was missing, Jamie couldn’t find anything alright about the rampant wet t-shirt contestant headed his way.

“Coulson,” Jamie interrupted, “I swear to god, if I end up in medical you can kiss your comic collection goodbye.”

With just enough time for Coulson’s command to sound unaffected by Jamie’s threat, Phil ordered they fall back and let the half-crazed possible-bodybuilder pass without any more interference.

When the hammer-in –the-dirt doesn’t pull free and crown the blonde intruder the-once-and-future king of the realm, he’s almost disappointed. Then the mission gets crazier with mythology Jamie hasn’t had to remember since his senior lit class in high school being tossed around and proven mostly true and he feels like all the crazy shit he’s seen so far just doesn’t compare to literal aliens.

(And, considering he was raised as a good catholic boy and high school was actually _catholic_ high school, having a pagan religion basically confirmed is throwing him off his center. He may not have actively practiced his religion for a long time, but belief runs deep.)

When it’s over and they’re headed to the Santa Fe SHIELD outpost, they find out Captain goddamn America was found. While Phil flips out, Clint turns to Jamie, eyes widened with concern, “There any valium in the med kit? Cause I think we’re gonna need it.”

~*~

_Now:_

Jamie gave a jaw-cracking yawn as they reached a small schawarma joint. The windows were blown in and most of the tables were overturned. Two older women were sweeping glass and debris into piles.

Steve, ever the gentleman, grabbed a table and righted it, “Here, let us help.”

Filing in, everyone began fixing furniture or using the women’s brooms to clean up while Tony worked out an arrangement along the lines of “We’re really hungry so can you make us some food and I’ll pay for it by repairing your restaurant and getting you the best appliances possible.”

By the time the food was plated the place looked normal, excluding the lack of glass in the front windows. Knowing the huge amount of food Steve, Thor and Bruce would need to eat, Jamie grabbed the smallest platter and placed it firmly in front of Clint and Natasha. Tony joined them as they watched the augmented half of their team descend upon the food like a hoard of politely ravenous hounds with no small amount of horror.

“You three could eat an entire cow each, couldn’t you,” Tony said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Steve looked up from his fifth helping in as many minutes, “My metabolism is four times faster than average. Thor’s a Norse God. Bruce just broke the law of conservation of mass with his _body_. And we just fought off an entire invasion force with seven people. I think we deserve at least two cows each.”

That last bit of awkwardness between them finally evaporated at Steve’s dry statement and the group laughed uproariously. From there, they began swapping stories and making small talk as the rest of the food disappeared into hungry stomachs.

It was almost an hour before conversation slowed and they collectively realized just how tired they were. Once again, they thanked the owners of the shop, though this time Thor took the lead, They left the women staring in bemusement as they trekked out.

Jamie and Clint were leaning into each other as they walked out, offering each other much needed support after the strange and stressful last few days. A police officer, his uniform strangely pristine, jogged toward them. With the effort of staying awake and upright taking most of Jamie’s brain power, it’s a few moments before he realizes that the man is focused solely on him instead of the group as a whole. A shiver ran down his back as the officer finally reaches them.

“Jamie Reagan? The Commissioner would like to speak with you.”

_Fuck._

~*~

_Then, 2 days ago:_

Jamie’s serving a rotation on the Helicarrier when he gets the news. Clint’s been taken by Thor’s brother who can apparently control minds, the entire PEGASUS base is a hole in the ground, and Nick Fury took a shot in the vest that made him even more pissed than he would be otherwise.  Oh, and the tesseract, which is also a goddamn dimensional doorway and is in the hands of an alien that actually knew how to use it. Taking a very deep breath, Jamie left his post to find the biggest mug of coffee on board so he could drown himself in it.

By the time Phil and Natasha reached the Helicarrier and the ship was airborne, Jamie had taken to stealing trinkets and bobbles from his fellow agents and timing how long it takes them to notice in an effort to distract himself from the ensuing panic.

(The best record is Kowalski, who noticed the moment Jamie touched their mug. The worst goes to Sherman who hasn’t noticed his glasses are gone from the top of his head for _6 hours_.)

 He’s in the process of taking Kwan’s hair-tie when Phil walks onto the bridge. If Phil were any less than strictly controlled at all times, Jamie knew he would be vibrating in excitement. As it is, there are little tells, like the way Phil keeps glancing at the door, that indicate his nervousness. The moment this was over and they had Clint back, Jamie was arranging a security tape viewing party.

On the other side of the raised platform, Kowalski’s head popped up and they called, “Captain on the Bridge!”

The bridge burst into a flurry of activity just before Steve Rogers walked in. It wouldn’t do to make a bad impression after all.

~*~

_Then, 4 years ago:_

It had been over a year since the family had talked to Jamie and Joe was getting concerned. With the drama and pain of the last full family meeting, Joe had given Jamie time. Everything had been too close, the tension and emotion high, so Joe wanted everyone to cool down before trying to fix everything.

(And, if Joe was being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure Jamie would answer any calls from them.)

Now, Joe’s patience had finally run out. He’d tried calling, emailing, even getting in touch with Jamie’s old roommates, but he was getting nothing. So, in a fit of impulsivity, Joe was dragging Danny with him to Princeton to see if they could track their little brother down.

“Come on Joe, the kid’s stubborn. He’s probably still fuming about everything and we’re just gonna make him angrier. He’ll call when he’s ready to apologize,” Danny said, arms crossed in the passenger seat.

“ _Or,_ he’s terrified that we’re still mad at him and trying to avoid the argument. You know he used to avoid telling Mom about bad grades for months before she forced them out of him,” Joe argued.

“Oh, you mean when he got a _B_? Yeah, like that was bad.”

“My point is, he’s probably freaking out and being stubborn about it all. Plus, I know you miss him, Danny,” Joe said, his tone soft.

“Yeah, well, we’ll see when we get there,” Danny huffed and slumped down in his seat.

~*~

“What do you mean he dropped out?” Danny asked incredulously as Joe stared at the receptionist, wide-eyed.

“What I said. Jamison Reagan dropped out midway through last year’s spring semester. There was no reason given on his withdrawal form. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are others in line?” the man waved them away and called for the next person.

Outside, Joe slumped onto a bench and dragged a hand over his face, “Damn it! I knew something was wrong. I never should have let him leave without fixing this.”

“Hey,” Danny said, sitting next to Joe, “There’s no way we could have known he’d drop out. And who’s to say it was the argument? Maybe a girl broke his heart or it got too hard for him or—“

“Danny,” Joe cut him off, “who are you even trying to kid?  Jamie wouldn’t have dropped _Princeton_ if there wasn’t a big reason, like practically being disowned by your family for instance.”

“Don’t you put this on us. This was Jamie’s descision not—“

Their argument was derailed when a passing student tentatively asked, “Um, are you guys talking about Jamie Reagan?”

“How…?”

“It’s just that you look like Jamie,” She said, gesturing to Joe, “and you said ‘Jamie’ a lot and were talking about family problems so…”

“Wait, you know Jamie?” Danny asked, standing.

She pulled out her phone and swiped through it for a few moments before showing them a picture of their little brother, “This guy, right? He was my chemistry tutor for a semester. Then he got a job offer and transferred in the spring last year.”

“Job offer? The school said he dropped out.”

“That’s weird,” she said, confused for a moment before shaking her head and sighing, “Anyways, he was really excited about it but wouldn’t tell us what he was doing exactly. I think it was an offer from the government, some top-secret spy stuff that they recruit smart kids for, though most of my friends think he just got a job at a start-up and was trying to be all mysterious to seem cool.”

Danny turned to Joe, eyebrow raised. Before they could continue to question the girl, she glanced at her phone and swore, “Shit, I have class in, like 2 minutes, I gotta go. Tell Jamie Mia says ‘Hi!’”

They watched the girl run off before turning to each other. What had happened to their little brother?

~*~

_Now:_

There was a moment of silence as Jamie stared at the officer. He’d been hoping to escape the city undetected and put off this meeting, at least for little while. Since SHIELD had revealed themselves to the world while stopping the attack, Jamie would inevitably have to talk to his family again. But he wasn’t ready, not yet.

“Excuse me, but that won’t be possible right now. They need to be debriefed and checked for injuries,” Agent Sitwell piped up from where he’d walked up to the group.

Jamie immediately turned to follow him, whispering a tight, “Thanks.”

The others followed, each giving the officer odd, concerned looks. After a few minutes, Tony sped up just long enough to reach Jamie, who was walking just behind Sitwell at the front of the group.

“So, you’re the missing son of the commissioner.”

Jamie jerked slightly, then sighed, “Do I want to know how you figured that out so fast?”

“I tend to keep a close eye on the cities I live in and news of a prominent figures kid being missing is usually high on the list,” Tony shrugged one shoulder, “And I had JARVIS look you up after the whole thing with Loki.”

“Shit, we still have to deal with him, don’t we.”

“Yes,” Sitwell chimed in, “which is why we’re doing the debriefing at Stark Tower. Of course, if that’s alright with you Mr. Stark.”

“Ah, why not. It’s not like I don’t need to give the place a good scrubbing already anyways,” Tony said with a shit-eating grin.

Sitwell just sighed, “Let’s just get this over with, shall we?”

~*~

_Then, 1 day ago:_

“So, are you supposed to be my keeper?”

Jamie stared stoically at the god in the cell, “If that’s what you want to call me.”

“Ooh, are you supposed to be the calm and composed cop? The not really good but not overtly threatening cop?” Loki gave Jamie a sly smirk.

Jamie’s expression didn’t change, “Sure, why not.”

“Well aren’t you a boring specimen. When do I get to speak with the fun ones?”

Jamie just stared.

“Fine,” Loki turned and began pacing.

It was a few minutes before another agent came in with a small stack of paperwork. Quirking a confused eyebrow at the agent, Jamie accepted the papers. Seeing that the agent hadn’t brought any sort of writing implement, Jamie casually slipped one from their pocket as they turned to leave and started scanning the first page. It wasn’t until the other agent was out the door that Jamie heard Loki’s low, rumbling chuckle and looked up.

“Yes?”

“I didn’t realize any of my brood still existed. The power of the family lines was believed to have died out ages ago.”

It took a few moments for Jamie to wrap his head around that statement. Brood? As in children, descendants?

“Don’t tell me that you managed to retain the power but lost the family tales. Where do you think that talent came from? Very few can pull a trick like that even with the magic an Asgardian heritage grants them,” Loki had lost some of that arrogant demeanor. In its place was an almost gentle curiosity. He stared at Jamie as intently as Jamie stared back

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jamie said faintly. He could feel a tingle in his spine. Loki’s words rang with truth. Jamie frantically tried to play it off, think of the sensation as a trick but there was something, in the deepest reaches of his mind that _purred_ at the thought.

“Agent Reagan, Fury needs to see you.”

Jamie jerked and he tore his gaze from Loki’s. Another agent, Agent Jeon if Jamie wasn’t mistaken, stood at the door. Her face held a hint of confusion.

“I’ll be taking your station in your absence,” she continued.

“Thank you. And be careful.”

Nick Fury was standing just outside the door when Jamie exited.

“You alright Jamie?” Nick asked, uncharacteristically open with his concern.

Instead of answering, Jamie stared at his hands. They were shaking. He clenched his them tightly, watching his knuckles whiten with fascination.

“Is this going to be a problem?” Nick continued.

“Ye—yes. I think it will”

~*~

_Then, 4 hours ago:_

With the discovery of Jamie’s disappearance, the Reagan family had taken to pooling their mental resources toward trying to find their wayward member. While it had started with Joe, Danny, and Frank working through police connections, it had eventually spanned into every member working contacts, creating contacts, and scouring the internet for any possible sighting of Jamie.

In the beginning, they had spent every free hour trying to track Jamie. Many nights were spent scanning pictures and emailing contacts. Then, six months into the search, Danny had collapsed from exhaustion and the family finally took a step back and reconsidered. From there, the search for Jamie became a meeting every Saturday at lunch for the family to consolidate information and look through new avenues of research. And so, on this Saturday, the entire Reagan family had convened at 1PP for a meeting in Frank’s office.

“We could check the Beijing connection again. I know it’s been over a year but—“

Mary shook her head and sighed, “Joe, we can’t even be sure it was him. All of the footage was grainy and we have him confirmed in Germany four hours later through one of Danny’s contacts. Your guy was wrong.”

“Mom, I have a feeling about this one. Something here just doesn’t seem right. We’ve been chasing bad leads for years already, what’s one more?”

“Alright, but it’s your lead. Don’t come crying to me when it doesn’t pan out.”

“Nah,” Danny chimed in, “He’ll come crying to me.”

“Oh haha,” Joe retorted, “And I’m more likely to go to Erin any way.”

“What, are you saying I’m not caring enough for you?”

“Yes, he is. Now quiet,” Erin said harshly before speaking into her phone in rapid French. That signaled an end to conversation, at least for the moment.

The room remained quiet save for the click of typing, the shuffle of papers, and the rustle of food packaging for the next hour. Then, there was a knock at the door before Baker rushed in.

“Sir, there’s a situation. We need to get you in the panic room,” glancing at the assembled Reagans, she added, “The rest of you will have to go too.”

From there, it was a blur of rushing people and shouted orders. People were introduced and lines were set up. At one point, a bland looking man in a form-fitted suit introduced himself as a member of SHIELD and set up a main line to listen into the comm system of the teams on the ground. Then, at an unheard signal, the room settled and everyone focused in on the chaos on the screens in front of them.

Tony Stark’s voice was the first recognizable sound from the comm system, “Right, army.”

And then they were off. The screens were filled with chaos, people were running and aliens, literal aliens, were raining from a hole in the sky. And there was nothing they could do.

Then, “Magpie, watch your left!” from what was possibly Captain America.

And, “Got it, thanks Cap!”

Frank didn’t have time to stop and think, couldn’t let the emotions that emerged at the sound of that all too recognizable voice flow. He shared a quick look with Danny, then continued coordinating his forces.

The rest of the family sat stunned.

~*~

_Now:_

Jamie kept his distance while the others dealt with Loki. He didn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s revelation. Having to leave the helicarrier just to get his head screwed back on right and gain distance from the situation in the middle of another, more serious situation, had not been ideal. Hell, he’d hated it but Jamie knew that the distance had been good for him. And it had let him be the first on scene and get a better scope of the battlefield later.

From his place near the bar, Jamie watched as the others surrounded and restrained the fallen god. When Loki glanced in his direction, Jamie refused to make eye contact, instead he pulled out his phone and pretended to be busy with it. He felt Loki’s eyes on him until the elevator doors closed.

The debrief was quick. Nick only asked for a quick rundown from each member. Then they were pushed into a jury-rigged medical wing two floors down from where they’d captured Loki and found themselves in the ever-loving hands of SHIELD’s medical staff.

“I swear to god Reagan, I don’t know how you made it to Delta without learning how to dodge. Seriously, how did you not notice the _gigantic gash_ in your leg!” Johnson said as he started stitching Jamie’s wound.

“Eh, it’s not that big. Clint’s way worse off than me.”

“He spent three days in enemy hands. You spent an hour and a half in Manhattan.”

“Oh, come on, there was a—“

Before Jamie could finish his statement, there was a shout from the front of the room. At the door, two SHIELD agents were wrestling with another man, who was shouting and cussing at the guards.

“You damn well better let me through to see him! He’s my brother you asshole!”

Jamie’s eyes widened at the voice and he ducked his head in attempt to hide. It was Danny, and Jamie knew the rest of his siblings weren’t far behind.

“Hey,” said Bruce quietly from behind Jamie, “You okay?”

Whipping his head around, Jamie took a moment to process the question before nodding, “Yeah. I just…It’s been a long time since I talked with my family.”

Bruce’s brow furrowed, “Do you want to see them? I’m sure Tony could keep them out if you want.”

“Thank you, but, this has been a long time coming and I think it’s been long enough,” As he said the words, Jamie felt a new confidence growing within. Yes, his parting with the family had been hard but time had healed enough of the wound for Jamie to want to try again.

Bruce watched Jamie for few seconds before his face softened and he nodded toward the door, “Well, it seems you’re about to get your chance.”

Turning back, Jamie watched as Danny finally shoved past the guards, clearing the doorway for Joe and Erin to muscle in with him. There was a beat of silence in the room as they scanned for Jamie before his eyes connected with Joe’s.

“Jamie!” Joe called as he dodged through the medical equipment. Erin and Danny were quick to follow, and the trio gathered at the end of the table Jamie was seated on.

For five minutes, there was a mish-mash of sound as the older siblings all attempted to talk at the same time. Then, Johnson, having just finished with Jamie’s wound, turned to the three and calmly told them to “shut their fucking traps or I’ll do it for you” before pushing through them to go to his next task. This stopped the three in their metaphorical tracks and they finally noticed the state of the room and their brother.

“Oh, uh…” Danny said, rubbing embarrassedly at his head, “Sorry?”

With their entertainment over, the rest of the room’s occupants went back to their tasks. Jamie fiddled a bit with the edge of his shirt before forcefully stilling his hands and looking back at his siblings.

 “You ass, do you know how much we missed you?” Erin said before the others could speak.

“I can guess,” Jamie answered quietly, “Hi, by the way.”

Erin huffed, crossing her arms, “Just…don’t disappear again, alright? And you better be coming with us when you’re done here.”

“Yeah, and what the hell!” Danny chimed in, “Your leg’s a mess!”

Looking down, Jamie grimaced. Reuniting with family while sitting in blood-soaked boxers and a dirt covered t-shirt with dried blood covering your leg was not Jamie’s first choice. Or second, as a matter of fact.

“He can’t dodge for shit,” Johnson called helpfully from the other side of the room.

“Thanks Johnson!” Jamie shot back with false cheer, “I’m free to go, right?”

“I don’t want to see you for at least a week Reagan. And take care of those stitches or I’m putting them in your ass!”

Smiling fondly, Jamie shook his head and hopped off the table. Sending a quick nod in Natasha’s direction, Jamie led his now silent siblings to the exit. After a quick conversation with first Sitwell, then Tony, Jamie was handed a pair of cargo pants and they headed for the elevator.

Inside, Jamie carefully pulled the pants on, all the while highly conscious of the silence surrounding him. After securing the pants, he looked up to see the others staring at him.

“So…we headed to 1PP?”

“Yes,” Joe said, “Dad’s still reworking patrols and getting casualty reports so we’re going to him.”

~*~

Frank’s office was unusually silent when the siblings returned with Jamie in tow. The rest of the family was sitting around the coffee table, the papers and computers from earlier still scattered about. Jamie paused by the door and just stared. He’d thought he was at least somewhat ready, but all of his confidence bled away at the sight of his parents.

His mother was sitting on the couch, eyes red but expression stern. Standing behind her was his father, his expression mirroring hers.

The other members of his family were spread across the room. Papers and computers where every where and, from what Jamie could read from his position at the door, they were tracking something. They were tracking him.

Part of him wondered: wondered when they noticed he was gone, wondered what their reactions had been, wondered if they’d ever found him before today.

But mostly, he wondered about their lives, about what had happened since he’d left, since he’d cut contact and become a secret agent of the highest caliber.

Looking around, he could see some change, see the passage of years in the growth of his niece and nephews, see the new lines on his parent’s faces, see the curiosity and joy alight in everyone’s eyes.

Jamie smiled and, voice shaking in excitement and sadness and a whole realm of other emotions, said, “Hi, sorry I missed Sunday dinner.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on [tumblr!](http://thepatchmatrix.tumblr.com/)


End file.
